Slack adjuster for locomotive engine and tender connections



Aug. 31 1926.

' l A. WRIGHT sLAcx ADJUSTER Fon LocoMoTIvE ENGINE AND TENDmoNNEcTIoNsFiled May 11. 192s @Lg v/ Patented Aug. 3l, 1926.

UNITED STA'ES einen TO JOHN ELDERT, F BSN, Iv'IASSAC/HUSETTS.

SLACK ADJUSTER FR LOCGMGTFJE ENG-ENE 1HE TENDER CGNNECTIONS.

Application filed May 1.1,

This application is a continuation in part of my application entitledSlack adjusters for locomotive engine and tender connections, filedApril 15, 1926, Serial No. 102,096.

The invention relates to the tensioned connect-ion between a locomotiveand its tender, said connection comprising a draw-bar pivotallyconnected with the engine, a coupling-pin supported in a fixed positionon the tender and engaging a slot in the rear end ofV the draw-bar, abuffer-carrying arm fixed toA the tender, a yielding buffer movable insaid arm, and buffer springs carried by the arm and exerting a forwardpressure on the yielding buffer, causing the latter to cooperate asusual with the usual non-yielding buffer projecting rearwardly from theengine in tensioning the connection, and preventing objectionableslackness therein. Y

The object of the invention is to provide for use with a tensionedconnection, thus characterized, a simple adjunct or attachment, enablingthe buffer springs to be quickly and convenientlyT re-tensioned by forceexternally applied and at a minimum expense and loss of running time.

Of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,-

Figure 1 is a top plan view, showing adjacent portions of-an engine andits tender, including the usual tensioned connection, and an adjunctassociated therewith, embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is asection on the planes indicated by the line 2-2 of Figure1.

Figure 3 shows in perspective one of the shims hereinafter described.

Figure 4 shows in perspective one of the two rods shown by Figure 1, andin sectional perspective the abutment head hereinafter described,removed from the rod.

Figures 5, 6 and 7 are fragmentary `sectional views hereinafter referredto.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to a portion ofl Figure2, showing a modification.

Figure 9 is a view similar to a portion of Figure 2, showing analternative arrangement.

Figure 10 shows in perspective the shim shown by Figure 9.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of thefigures.

In Figures 1 to 7, of the drawings, 12

leas, no, lessee.

designates a portion of the fixed breast beam at the forward end of alocomotive tender, this beam supporting the usual vertical coupling-pin13, which cooperates with the usual draw-bar 14 in connecting the tenderwith a locomotive engine. The draw-bar is provided with a slot 15 in itsrear end portion, and its forward end portion extends under the engine,and is connected with a forward pivot member (not shown) on the framingof the engine, said pivot member, the drawbar and the pin 13constituting the usual flexible connection between the engine and thetender, permitting the relative movements thereof required by traclcurves.

Formed on the breast beam 12 is a central forwardly projectingbuffer-carrying arm 16, having in its forward ,portion a guiding recess17, in which the hollow shank 18a of the yielding buffer-head 18 ismovable. rThe inner end face 17L 'of the guiding recess constitutes anabutment for the rear ends ofthe usual springs which back thebuffer-head 18. There are usually two pairs of springs, as shown byFigure 2,' each pair including an outer helical spring 19 and an innerhelical spring 20, the forward ends of the springs of each pair bearingon the buffer-head 1S, as shown by Figure 5, when the adjuncthereinafter described is not in use. n

The engine frame is provided with a rearwardly projectingbuffer-carrying arm 22. to which is fined the non-yielding` buffer ofthe engine. Said buffer usually includes a base member 23, bolted to thearm 22, and a chafing member or head 24, detachably engaged with thebaseniember 23, as indicated by Figure 2. rlhe head 24 and the head 18ofthe yielding buffer of the tender have the usual reciprocal bearingsurfaces, one of which has a reentrant, andthe other al salientcurvature, as shown by Figure 1. When the engine and tender are inservice, it is important that the buffer springs be maintained at asubstantially uniform ten-y sion, and not be lallowed to relax and exertmaterially less than the predetermined pressure on the buifer-heads 18and` 24,-so that there will be no objectionable slaclrness in theconnection.` l

lt is found that the wear caused by the frictional contact between the4coupling-pinv 13 and the end 15a (Figure 2) of the draw` bar slotelongates the slot and permits eX- i the usual tensioned connectionbetween the engine and tender, and as heretofore used, does not includemeans enabling the springs to be compressed by force externally applied,to increasevtheir tension and take up Vthe 'slackness due to wear of theslot' end 15a and the coupling-pin, and the elonga tion of the draw-bardue to the tensile strain thereon when in use. In the structure asprepared for operation, the vbuffer springs bear directly on thebufferhead 18, as shown by Figure 5.'

In carrying out my invention, I provide an adjunct or attachment,adapted to be applied to said structure after the abovementioned wearand elongation have occured, the adjunct permitting the compression ofthe springs by force externally applied, and an increase of the tensionof the springs in the manner hereinafter described. v f Y Y Said adjunctincludes a pair of abutment heads 28, and a pair of rods 26, engagedwith the abutment heads, there being onev abutment head and theaccompanying rod for each pair of springs. The abutment heads 28 arelformed to -be inserted iny the hollow shank 18a of the buffer-head 18,and to be interposed between the buffer-head and the outer ends of thesprings, as shown by Figure 6. The abutment heads are loosely engagedwith the rods 26, preferably by approximately ball-shaped headsA 26aformed on the rods, and sockets .28 formed in the abutment heads, thisengagei ment permitting the rods to turn in the heads. The rods extendrearward from the abutment heads throughV orifices 31 (Figure 2) formedfor their reception in portions of the varm 16. The rear end portions ofthe rods 26 are provided with slots 32, to receive wedges 33, adapted tobear on the usual vertical face 16a of the arm 16, as shown by Figure 2,and confine the rods against forward endwise movement. v s

The adjunct preferably lincludes shims 29 which may be disks, as shownby Figure 3, adapted to be inserted in slots30, formed for theirreception in the hollow shank 18a. When it becomes evident that there isan objectionable slackness in the tensioned connection, thecoupling-pinl13 is removed, and the engine is moved forward from thetender far enough to permit the ,removal of the buffer-head 18 from thearmL 16. The abutment heads 28and rods 26 are then applied, the rodsbeing inserted in the springs andin the orifices 31, their rear endsprojecting from the face 16a, so that the slots 32 are partly exposed atthe rear of said` face. The buffenhead lS'is then returned to place andbears on the abutment heads. The engine is then backed, while the tenderis prevented from backing, and the bufferhead, the abutment heads, andthe rods are forced rearward, thus causing a compression of the springsand increasing the exposure of the' rod slots 32. The wedges 33 nowenter the slots 32 and maintain the compression and tension of thesprings, until the engine and tender are again coupled together by thepin 13, the wedges being then removed. rlhe tensioned connection is nowconditioned for operation, assuming that the springs havebeensuiiiciently compressed by the abutment heads alone. If, however,further compression of the springs is required, the shims 29 areemployed. To permit this e1nployment,the buffer-head 18, which is nowloose, is moved forward by hand on the arm 16, and on'the abutmentheads, without removing the coupling-piny 13, the abutment heads beingconlined as above described, by the wedges 33. There is at this time,suilicient looseness to permit thebufi'er-head 1S to be moved forward byhand,.far enough to locate ythe slots inadvance of the confined abutmentheads, asl

shown by Figure 7, thus permitting the insertion ofthe shims 29,'between the buiferhead and the abutment heads. The engine is againbacked, so that the bu'flenhead 18 bears on the shims, as shown byFigure 2, and through thev shims andthe abutment heads, additionallycompresses the springs, c

the wedges 33 entering the slots 3.2 more deeply compression.

The wedges are then removed, ,so that the connection is conditioned asbefore, for operation. Itis obvious that more than one shim may beemployed with each abutment head, and that the. shims maybe of anydesired thickness.

The described, loose connection between the abutment heads 23 and therods 26, prevents liability of breaking the connection between the headsand. rods which would existif the heads were rigidly attached to therods, the heads being subjected to torsional strain by the springs. Saidloose connection permits the rodsto be turned in the heads to cause theslots 3 2 to extend vertically, and thus permit the' wedges 33 todescend by gravity in the .slots and automatically maintain theincreased tensionof the springs. 'j j j As an equivalent'of the wedges33 as the means for temporarily kmaintaining the increased tension ofthe springs, I may em-V to be set up against the end face -16, as

shown by Figure 3.

and maintaining the additional in the alternative or moditiedarrangement shown by Figure -9, the abutment heads, designated by 28a,are located at the inner ends of the springs, and the rods, designatedby 26a, have rear end faces on which the swiielled foot 40 of ajack-screw is adapted to bear. Irlrhe jack-screw may bear on a 'tiredabutment (not shown) on the tuner and be operated to force the rods 26and abutment heads 28a forward, and thus cor-' 1 resel the butlersprings and permit the insertion of shims 29a in slots 30 in the arm i6,the springs being additionally compressed by an operation which does notinvolve 'the uncoupling of the engine and the application of force bybacking the engine as iirst described. The shims 29 are provided withrecesses 291 which receive the rods 26a when the shims are dropped intothe slots 30a. rlhe force applied by the jaclrscrew compresses thesprings to take up looscness due to the wear on the couplingpin 13 andthe draw-bar slot, and elongation of the draw-bar, the compression beingmaintained by the shims, after the removal or" the jack-screw.

its above stated, the described adjunct is not present in the structureas first used. After the adjunct has been installed, it becomespermanent element of tne structure. Said adjunct may, however, beincorporated in the structure at the time of manufacture thereof.

rlhe only adaptation of the previously existing structure required topermitl the application of the described adjunct thereto, is theformation of the rod-guiding orifires Si in the arm 17, and theshim-receiving slots 30 in the shank 18a of the bufferhead 18.

l claim:

l. ln a tensioned connection between an engine and a tender, comprisinga draw-bar extending between the engine and tender, a coupling-pincarried by the tender and engaging a slot in the rear end of thedrawbar, a buffer-carrying arm carried by the tender in fixed relationto the coupling-pin, a buffer-head carried by said arm, and springspressing the buffer-head forward to cause the cooperation ofthebutler-head with a rigidly backed buffer-head on the engine andmaint-ain an end of the draw-bar slot in contact with the coupling-pin,the combination with said connection of a spring-tensioning adjunctcarried by said arm and comprising abutment heads slidable in the arm,rods engaged with the abutment heads and slidable in guides on the arm,the abutment heads and rods being movable by force externally applied tocompress the springs, and shims adapted to confine the abutment headsand rods to maintain the compression of the springs, said adjunct beingadapted to be actuated by the externally applied force to increase thetension of the springs and thereby compensate for wear of thecoupling-pin and draw-bar and elongation of the draw-bar.

2. In a tensioned connection between an engine and a tender,comprising adraw-ba extending between the engine and tender, a coupling-pin carriedby thetender and engaging a slot in the rear end of the drawbar, abuffer-carrying arm carried by the tender in tired relation to thecoupling-pin, a buffer-head carried by said arm, and springs pressingthe buffer-head forward to cause the cooperation of the buffer-head witha rigidly backed buffer-head on the engine and maintain an end of thedrawbar slot in contact with the coupling-pin, the combination withsaidconnection, of a spring tensioning adjunct carried by said arm andcomprising abutment heads slidable in the arm and interposed between thebufer-head and the forward ends of the springs, rods engaged with theabutment heads and slidable in guides on the arm, the buffer-head andthe abutment heads being movable by force externally applied to thebuffer-head, to compress the springs, and means for temporarilyconfining the rods with the abutment heads in spring-compressingposition, said adjunct being adapted to be actuated by a rearwardmovement of the buffer-head, to increase the tension of the springs andthereby compensate for wear of the coupling-pin and draw-bar and theelongation of the draw-bar.

3. In a tensioned connection between an engine and a tender,'comprisinga draw-bar extending between the engine and tender, a coupling-pincarried by the tender and engaging a slot in the rear end of thedrawbar, a bilder-carrying arm carried by the tender in fixed relationto the couplingpin, a buffer-head carried by said arm, and springspressing the buffer-head forward to cause the cooperation of t-hebilder-head with a rigidly backed buffer-head on the engine and maintainan end of the draw-bar slot in Contact with the coupling-pin, thecombination with said connection of a springtensioning adjunct car 1iedby said arm and comprising abutment heads slidable in the arm andinterposed between the buffer-head and the forward ends of the springs,rods engaged with the abutment heads and slidable in guides on the arm,the buffer-head and the abutment heads being movable by force externallyapplied to the buffer-head to compress the springs, means fortemporarily confining said rods with the abutment heads spaced from thebuffer-head, and separate shims insertible between the abutment headsand the buffer-head., said adjunct being adapted to be actuated by arearward movement of the buffer-head to increase the tension of thesprings and thereby compensate for Wear of the coupling-pin and draW-bar and the elongation of the draw-bar.

4. An engine and tender connection embodying the Combination speoiied byclaim 3, the buffer-head being provided with slots permtting theinsertion of the shims be` tween the abutment heads and the buiierhead.

5. An engine and tender connection embodying the combination speeied byclaim 3, the rods being provided at theirrear end portion withadjustable means adapted to cooperate with the arm in temporarilyconfining the rods against forward movement.

6. An engine and tender Connection embodying the combination specifiedby claim l, the rods being loosely engaged with the abutment heads, sothat relative turning movements ofthe said rods and heads is permitted.a

In testimony whereof I have alixed my si gnature.

ASHLEY L. WRIGHT.

